| xyz |
| Mariah's Promise |
| Mariah's Promise |
| shadow |
| DenverKillsDogs.com |
| shadow |
| shadow |
| Mike, Simba, & Toni |
| Kiwi & friends |
| Porsche |
| The Gang, happy with full bellies |
My husband Mike and I have been rescuing dogs since 1990—starting in Texas, Missouri and
now in Colorado. We have yet to find an unadoptable dog! We assess each dog that comes to
us only to understand their personality and needs, not to determine whether they live or die.
After settling in Colorado, we found our way up the mountain to Teller County in 1999, to fulfill
Promise. Two years later, the news of Denver’s breed ban hit us square between the eyes! We
looked around the house in shock at the 14 pit bulls and pit mixes we had rescued, (along with
approximately twenty dogs of other various breeds). We could not fathom what we would do if
animal control or the police came to our door and told us that Gracie or Phoebe or Emory or any
of our other bullies had to go!! All were good dogs, as wonderful as could be. On the spot, we
opened our hearts and home to the catastrophe brewing some 85 miles away in Denver.
In February, 2005, we took our first pit bull from Max Fund, a no-kill shelter in Denver. Tootsie, a
blind dog, was left tied to the front door of the shelter some time during the night. At that time,
Max Fund was getting a lot of frantic phone calls from people who were worried that Denver
would succeed in their attempt to reinstate their breed ban, previously suspended by Colorado
state law in 2004, (Margolius v. Denver). Families desperately wanted to surrender their dogs
so they wouldn't be killed. But, because they were located in Denver, Max Fund was not
allowed to take them. Max Fund referred the desperate callers to us and soon Mariah’s Promise
became a hotline for panicked dog owners and a refugee camp for the dogs Denver wanted
dead.
As feared, three months later, (on May 9, 2005), Denver began a massive dog witch hunt. Max
Fund put signs up around the area with Mariah’s Promise contact info for people who needed to
get their dogs out of Denver fast. At first, some people thought we were a sting operation to
find hidden pit bulls in Denver! We were just floored to find people acting so paranoid, but who
could blame them? Neighbors turned against neighbors, friends against friends. People were
turning in anyone they knew who had a pit bull. It was an incredibly ugly and frightening
experience. One we will never forget.
Max Fund helped out, giving us $9,500 to purchase 10'x10', 6-ft high kennels, igloos, food bowls
and stall mats. Many dogs, even puppies, were being abandoned in parks. Some caring,
compassionate people who found these abandoned dogs smuggled them out of town and
brought them to Mariah’s Promise. Others hid dogs in their houses, only letting them out at
night until they could get them safely out of Denver to stay with a friend or relative in a nearby
city or to our sanctuary two hours away.
A total of 43 dogs were brought to us as temporary custodians until families could move out of
Denver and come back for their dogs. People were frantic and we tried to help as many as we
could. One guy, Rick, still stands out in my mind. He brought his dog Crook to us. He hugged his
dog while sobbing a goodbye and left with tears in his eyes. That scene and so many others
like it broke our hearts! Crook (we later named him Cookie) was just as heartbroken and
confused after having been ripped from his family home. Cookie’s new home was a 10'x10', 6-ft
high kennel. Cookie never saw his family again.
We had visits from major TV stations and newspapers, doing stories on the exiled Denver dogs.
Even the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune came here. The state representative of the
Humane Society of the United States came to visit. We had people here from Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary of Kanab, Utah. After all the hoopla, there was silence. They got their stories
and then they were gone. Nothing changed in Denver.
Media attention did bring us new visitors. Some also came to adopt, telling us they wanted any
dog except a pit bull or pit mix. But many would end up adopting one of our fugitives once they
actually met face to face! Brainwashed by scary news reports, their fears vanished with one big
bully lick on the kisser and butt wiggles that could knock you over.
On September 17, 2005, an excellent article in the Colorado Springs Gazette came out. What a
great article on behalf of the Denver refugees! It covered the breed ban controversy and the
true nature of pit bulls. It was outstanding. But it was the beginning of an ongoing battle for
Mariah's Promise. One neighbor took that article to the homeowner's association meeting
across the road from us and got everyone riled up because “those dangerous Denver dogs”
were here — they could get out and maul our children! Ignorance and fear raised its ugly head
again.
After two years of operating Mariah's Promise with no complaints, we began to get bombarded
with 'barking dog' complaints. Not only did a few neighbors reward us with 22 citations over the
next few months, they lodged false accusations against us: our place was a mess, the dogs ran
out of control, our garbage was offensive — none of it true! We are regularly inspected by the
Department of Agriculture which controls our state license as well as working closely with animal
control.
We never intended to be a 'pit bull rescue'. We rescued dogs of all breeds, including Miniature
Pinschers, Rottweilers, Anatolians, Great Danes — all who needed help. But, the harassment
continued and tied our hands as we feuded with alarmed neighbors. Sadly, we had to limit the
number of Denver dogs allowed a safe haven at our sanctuary. Some of those dogs have
become our personal pets. Many others have gone on to new homes where they are loved and
are cherished companions.
It is our greatest hope and prayer that these killings STOP in Denver. It's as wrong as wrong
can be. We continue to educate people with the truth and sad reality of breed discrimination.
Back in 2005, the sacrifices we made to take in as many Denver dogs as possible stretched our
resources to the bare bone and tested our personal fortitude to the max. We have given some
dogs a happy ending and those are the stories that keep us going.
Now, as resources permit, we continue to answer the call from Denver and several copycat
cities that threaten the safety and security of dog owners, (Aurora, Castle Rock, Commerce City
and Lone Tree), that have made outlaws of some of the best dogs God ever made.
Toni and Mike Phillips
Anyone wishing to adopt or help support Mariah’s Promise, please visit:
www.MariahsPromise.com
now in Colorado. We have yet to find an unadoptable dog! We assess each dog that comes to
us only to understand their personality and needs, not to determine whether they live or die.
After settling in Colorado, we found our way up the mountain to Teller County in 1999, to fulfill
Promise. Two years later, the news of Denver’s breed ban hit us square between the eyes! We
looked around the house in shock at the 14 pit bulls and pit mixes we had rescued, (along with
approximately twenty dogs of other various breeds). We could not fathom what we would do if
animal control or the police came to our door and told us that Gracie or Phoebe or Emory or any
of our other bullies had to go!! All were good dogs, as wonderful as could be. On the spot, we
opened our hearts and home to the catastrophe brewing some 85 miles away in Denver.
In February, 2005, we took our first pit bull from Max Fund, a no-kill shelter in Denver. Tootsie, a
blind dog, was left tied to the front door of the shelter some time during the night. At that time,
Max Fund was getting a lot of frantic phone calls from people who were worried that Denver
would succeed in their attempt to reinstate their breed ban, previously suspended by Colorado
state law in 2004, (Margolius v. Denver). Families desperately wanted to surrender their dogs
so they wouldn't be killed. But, because they were located in Denver, Max Fund was not
allowed to take them. Max Fund referred the desperate callers to us and soon Mariah’s Promise
became a hotline for panicked dog owners and a refugee camp for the dogs Denver wanted
dead.
As feared, three months later, (on May 9, 2005), Denver began a massive dog witch hunt. Max
Fund put signs up around the area with Mariah’s Promise contact info for people who needed to
get their dogs out of Denver fast. At first, some people thought we were a sting operation to
find hidden pit bulls in Denver! We were just floored to find people acting so paranoid, but who
could blame them? Neighbors turned against neighbors, friends against friends. People were
turning in anyone they knew who had a pit bull. It was an incredibly ugly and frightening
experience. One we will never forget.
Max Fund helped out, giving us $9,500 to purchase 10'x10', 6-ft high kennels, igloos, food bowls
and stall mats. Many dogs, even puppies, were being abandoned in parks. Some caring,
compassionate people who found these abandoned dogs smuggled them out of town and
brought them to Mariah’s Promise. Others hid dogs in their houses, only letting them out at
night until they could get them safely out of Denver to stay with a friend or relative in a nearby
city or to our sanctuary two hours away.
A total of 43 dogs were brought to us as temporary custodians until families could move out of
Denver and come back for their dogs. People were frantic and we tried to help as many as we
could. One guy, Rick, still stands out in my mind. He brought his dog Crook to us. He hugged his
dog while sobbing a goodbye and left with tears in his eyes. That scene and so many others
like it broke our hearts! Crook (we later named him Cookie) was just as heartbroken and
confused after having been ripped from his family home. Cookie’s new home was a 10'x10', 6-ft
high kennel. Cookie never saw his family again.
We had visits from major TV stations and newspapers, doing stories on the exiled Denver dogs.
Even the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune came here. The state representative of the
Humane Society of the United States came to visit. We had people here from Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary of Kanab, Utah. After all the hoopla, there was silence. They got their stories
and then they were gone. Nothing changed in Denver.
Media attention did bring us new visitors. Some also came to adopt, telling us they wanted any
dog except a pit bull or pit mix. But many would end up adopting one of our fugitives once they
actually met face to face! Brainwashed by scary news reports, their fears vanished with one big
bully lick on the kisser and butt wiggles that could knock you over.
On September 17, 2005, an excellent article in the Colorado Springs Gazette came out. What a
great article on behalf of the Denver refugees! It covered the breed ban controversy and the
true nature of pit bulls. It was outstanding. But it was the beginning of an ongoing battle for
Mariah's Promise. One neighbor took that article to the homeowner's association meeting
across the road from us and got everyone riled up because “those dangerous Denver dogs”
were here — they could get out and maul our children! Ignorance and fear raised its ugly head
again.
After two years of operating Mariah's Promise with no complaints, we began to get bombarded
with 'barking dog' complaints. Not only did a few neighbors reward us with 22 citations over the
next few months, they lodged false accusations against us: our place was a mess, the dogs ran
out of control, our garbage was offensive — none of it true! We are regularly inspected by the
Department of Agriculture which controls our state license as well as working closely with animal
control.
We never intended to be a 'pit bull rescue'. We rescued dogs of all breeds, including Miniature
Pinschers, Rottweilers, Anatolians, Great Danes — all who needed help. But, the harassment
continued and tied our hands as we feuded with alarmed neighbors. Sadly, we had to limit the
number of Denver dogs allowed a safe haven at our sanctuary. Some of those dogs have
become our personal pets. Many others have gone on to new homes where they are loved and
are cherished companions.
It is our greatest hope and prayer that these killings STOP in Denver. It's as wrong as wrong
can be. We continue to educate people with the truth and sad reality of breed discrimination.
Back in 2005, the sacrifices we made to take in as many Denver dogs as possible stretched our
resources to the bare bone and tested our personal fortitude to the max. We have given some
dogs a happy ending and those are the stories that keep us going.
Now, as resources permit, we continue to answer the call from Denver and several copycat
cities that threaten the safety and security of dog owners, (Aurora, Castle Rock, Commerce City
and Lone Tree), that have made outlaws of some of the best dogs God ever made.
Toni and Mike Phillips
Anyone wishing to adopt or help support Mariah’s Promise, please visit:
www.MariahsPromise.com
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